Regarding the Nov. 9 Bloomberg article on the gendered nature of paid work and care work in Japan — " 'Devil wife' heads working moms' struggle" — I was wondering why the article did not mention the need for men's participation in care work. The article details the challenges that women face when tasked with balancing care work at home and paid work outside the home, and the discrimination that women face in the workplace.
However, from the article, it appears that the solution is to make it easier for women, and only women, to balance the two kinds of work. Meanwhile, men don't have to perform this double duty. This reframing of women's roles at home and at work is more akin to putting a smiling face on continued gender inequality than a real step toward a more egalitarian system.
Terue Suzuki, the NTT Communications senior manager quoted in the article, as well as trading company employee Yoko Ogata and other women deserve better than to have half of society let off the hook for caring for our families.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.